Shape coding is utilized by a number of multimedia applications to enable various image processing techniques. For example, shape coding is utilized by digital photograph editor applications. After a shape is coded or defined, the digital photograph editor applications permit a user to modify only the graphical information inside the encoded shape. For example, the graphical information inside the shape may be “cut-and-pasted” onto a new background.
Various data structures and algorithms have been employed to encode shapes. For example, region-based approaches have been developed. Region-based schemes encode an object by a support map which is a binary image with ones representing the object region and zeros representing the background region. In this manner, the shape coding is converted to a binary image coding problem. Exemplary region-based algorithms include the algorithms developed by Joint Binary Images Group (JBIG), JBIG2, and Moving Picture Experts Group-4 (MPEG-4).
Boundary-based algorithms are also frequently utilized. For example, a user may manually select each pixel of a boundary of an object in a graphical image. The coordinates of each selected pixel may be stored to define the boundary. Moreover, various schemes have been utilized to approximate the boundary defined by stored coordinates such as chain coding, polygon approximation, high-order curve fitting (splines) approximation, and combined polygon-spline approximation. The approximation algorithms reduce the amount of data required to represent the boundary to varying degrees.
However, known shape encoding algorithms are independent of the algorithm utilized to present the underlying graphical image (e.g., bit map, video image, and/or the like). Accordingly, known shape encoding algorithms require an appreciable amount of data in addition to the underlying graphical image.